Lynne Tolley from Miss Mary Bobo’s made Cheesy Ham Bread. For more information about Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House in Lynchburg, or to make reservations, call (931)759-7394.
Cheesy Ham Bread
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
½ tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup ham, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp green onions, thinly sliced (use white & green parts)
1 Tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
2 cups grated sharp cheddar or Gruyere cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
Set eggs & buttermilk out to come to room temperature. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a metal 8” x 3” loaf pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and pepper. Stir in the chopped ham, green onions, thyme, and 1 ¾ cup cheese (reserving the rest for topping). In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, and buttermilk. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine being careful not to overmix (a few lumps are okay). The batter will be thick.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup grated cheese over the top. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 45-55 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely on the wire rack.
Store, well wrapped, in refrigerator. Slices are delicious toasted. Freezes well.
· Quick Bread Tips
Quick bread - no yeast, so no rising or kneading; just mix & bake; includes brownies, muffins, banana bread, etc
· Set refrigerated items out to come to room temp
· Fluff the flour before mixing for accurate measuring
· Stir just until combined as over-mixing can cause bread to be tough; better to leave a few lumps
· Baking powder & soda start to work as soon as they get wet, so get pan into oven quickly to insure bread will rise well
· Test baking powder in a little warm water to see if it fizzes to make sure it is not old
· Set timer 10 minutes less than full baking time, then test with a wooden skewer; if it has a few crumbs on bottom, bread is ready; use skewer that you would use for shish kebab as toothpick is not long enough
· When cooling, be sure and remove bread from loaf pan after 10 minutes so it does not sweat in the pan
· Can be frozen for 3 months
